Two 10-foot-tall human figures face each other seeming to be engaged in an intense dialogue. Meshed with alphabets of eight languages, Mirror is the work of an internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa. The breathtaking new installation was inaugurated Tuesday night as the newest addition to Rice University’s permanent art collection.

“Alphabets are very near to me— alphabets from different languages, alphabets from different cultures,” says Plensa. “How beautiful are they when they all come together?”

Interlocked together in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hindi, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin and Russian alphabets, the stainless-steel figures are symbolic of dialogue and reflection. The idea of dialogue across cultures can be drawn from Plensa’s use of cultural mesh of alphabets and the positioning of the figures in a conversational posture. The idea of reflection within oneself can be drawn from the installation forming a mirror image seeming to be one figure talking to its own reflection in the mirror.

The frontal face area of the sculptures has an opening, allowing people to step inside and experience the art from a new dimension. Plensa is known for creating engaging works of art and he typically encourages people to come close to his art, experience its purpose, and form an intimate relationship with it.

“The piece invites people to come and sit inside its arms,” says Plensa. “It’s like a big mom protecting them.”

The Barcelona-born artist is not new to Houston. Mirror is Plensa’s second installation in the city. The first installation is Toleranceconsisting of seven human figures sitting in a contemplative pose along Buffalo Bayou Park on Allen Parkway. The use of alphabets, stainless steel, and human figure is consistent in both of these installations and very typical of Plensa’s creations.

Plensa is known for his monumental sculptures that call home cities such as Chicago, New York, London, Dubai and Vancouver. More famously known in the U.S. for creating the Crown Fountain in Chicago’s Millenium Park, Plensa has the capacity to create elements that turn the visual art into an interactive experience.

“When I made the Crown Fountain, everyone was concerned that this project may be too intellectual or too technological,” says Plensa. “Then the night before, we decided to take the protecting fence away from the fountain and suddenly we saw kids coming around and enjoying in the water.”

The same interaction was seen at the dedication ceremony for Mirror as children and adults mingled with the figures as if they were alive. When the skies turned dark, bright lights illuminated the installation creating a spectacular night view.

“We have to explore ourselves from the inside first and this is always an invitation for the visitors,” says Plensa. “You have to listen to your soul talking.”